Favourite guitarists/why we build?

Chuck D. Bones said:
Excellent! That is most helpful. I'll probably end up doing the installation. Got the drill press. Thank you.

On the topic of favorite guitarists, David Gilmour has been at the top of my list since DSotM came out. I'd like to add:
Robert Fripp
Pete Townshend
Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree)
Bill Nelson (Bebop Deluxe)
Tommy Bolin
Buck Dharma (Blue Oyster Cult)
Billie Gibbons

I never lose sight of the fact that for all of these guys, 95% of the tone is in their fingers. The equipment can take credit for maybe the last 5%.
As The Rev. Willie Gibbons so eloquently put it: "It's meat on steel on wood."
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100%, it’s just really fun when you can hit the same sound haha. There was a video recently of Joe Satriani playing some random guys Strat copy in the dudes apartment...still sounded like Joe Satriani of course but you could tell he was playing cheap gear.

Im currently in the process of selling most of my store bought effects as I recently landed an early 90s Peavey Predator I want to put money in to as it plays terrifically well for a 200$ guitar. Get back to playing the damn guitar instead of obsessing with effects.

Buck Dharma is criminally underrated!
 
Nostradoomus said:
I LOVE Earthless. The Texas Ranger is still one without a layout or schematic floating around...
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Sadly yeah. Looking for alternatives. It has a hi, mid, lo toggle but I know I wouldn't use the high or mid with my bright setup. Just the low. It sounds so good in all the videos I've seen.
 
Could just be a rangemaster with an input cap selector switch...I’d think if it was that easy someone woulda cloned it by now haha
 
@Dali did you snag that from the 90's UMRK sale or one of the more recent estate sales...?

This is the exact opposite of DIY pedal building, but Meris specifically name checked Zappa and Holdsworth's use of rackmount delays as inspiration for their Polymoon. I haven't actually tried recreating anything specific but it is a a raaaaaad pedal.
 
xayk said:
@Dali did you snag that from the 90's UMRK sale or one of the more recent estate sales...?
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Sold to me by Dweezil in 1996 from the Joe's Garage Sale as it was called.

Inventory ICA #18 (ICA stands for Inter Continental Absurdities)

MXR.jpg MXR-Exp-memory-board.jpg

I've met Dweezil numerous since then and once I told him I was the guy that got the Delay and his instant question was: Does it still work? Like he was really wondering. :)

The answer is yes by the way.
 
My favourite treble booster is based on the Red Rooster/Chickenhead. Thing is you can use a silicon transistor instead of Ge if you want - I use a 2N2222A. Then add a cap from the output to ground to bleed off some of the extra treble from the Si transistor. To sound properly Ge you might want to use a 47nF cap but I have used smaller - say 18nF - with great results. It is a great treble booster and sounds very authentic in front of a low-gain OD like a Rockett 45 or similar. With the range knob below 12.00 you can get Rangemaster tones and above 12.00 will fatten up a Strat beautifully. Great pedal. The 4n7/5nF input cap is a necessity to achieve true treble-booster tone. Don't worry - the range pot will get you all the low end you need.

I got into building to try and find "my" version of the perfect overdrive. I already got into building amps for much the same reason. But now I have discovered a few things about overdrives and found some which really work for me it has been fun to build some stuff to cop other player's tones. I always loved Dave Gilmour's sounds, and really love Beatles guitar sounds. So some of the Skreddy designs really work for me and I have modified some to suit myself. And the Marsh fuzz has been a revelation - some (surprisingly) great Beatles sounds in that pedal. Possibly not by design!
 
To be honest I just build because I think the pedal would be interesting and I'm a cheap bastard. If I can build it myself I will and save me some coin :) .. This is the reason I wind my own pickups.

The only pedal I have built because of an artist will be a Tube Screamer clone. I wanted the SRV tone even though I'm 70/80's Metal person..
 
Yeah that’s why I started building too...and especially now that I see companies like JHS slinging overpriced clones...I’m not falling for it any more haha. The only pedals I buy are ones I can’t fathom making (last purchase was a Whammy).
 
Nostradoomus said:
I LOVE Earthless. The Texas Ranger is still one without a layout or schematic floating around...
Click to expand...
I just pulled out my Strat and was reminded of this old thread. Last Christmas I treated myself to some new pickups for my 84 Tokai Strat (refinished by me) since I wasn't a fan of what was in it. Tym Guitars partnered up with Mick Brierley and Isaiah Mitchell to put out a small batch of Signature Pickups. It was a really small batch through Tym and they didn't have any left so I reached out to Mick Brierley in Australia and he made a set of them for me. Anywho, while I was at it installing them, I added a push button out of phase switch because I love the thin, hollow, nasally sound. I also used a Schaller megaswitch and wired it like normal except for position 3 to be neck and bridge pickup instead of middle alone since I never use just the middle pickup.

This thing absolutely rips now and I just love it.
IMG_20201015_104156.jpg
 
Not cheap. hehe. I think it was 230 shipped from AU to US but it was Xmas and I was needing change. The fancy switching was tricky but super worth it. The out of phase honk in position 3 is sublime and nasty.
 
I imagine there are a few different ways to do the fancy switching but here's the wiring stuff I used: push button switch and megaswitch
I didn't buy the push button from that site though, can't remember where but from somewhere cheaper. Oh, and I needed some Devcon plastic welder that I didn't have on hand to secure the button to the pickguard
 
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JetFixxxer said:
To be honest I just build because I think the pedal would be interesting and I'm a cheap bastard. If I can build it myself I will and save me some coin :) .. This is the reason I wind my own pickups.

The only pedal I have built because of an artist will be a Tube Screamer clone. I wanted the SRV tone even though I'm 70/80's Metal person..
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THIS!
Saves me money and keeps me occupied! Its always fun to tinker and it’s satisfying to know that you hand built a piece of gear.
Building an amp and Tele are next on my list.
 
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